


Emotional Distress and Pandemic Quarantine Don't Mix

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: OQ Prompt Party 2020 [6]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Issues, Mild Language, Minor Prince Charming | David Nolan/Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, OQ Prompt Party 2020, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Quarantine, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmates, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:48:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25795393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: As the effects of quarantine due to the pandemic continue to hold the United Realms hostage, their Good Queen plays host to her large and extended family, and the forced confinement does more harm than good for her psyche in the long run.  Will Robin and the rest of the family be able to help bring her back from the brink before it's too late?
Relationships: "Hyde" Evil Queen/Wishverse Robin Hood, Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Robin Hood
Series: OQ Prompt Party 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864084
Comments: 12
Kudos: 12





	1. Maleficent

**Author's Note:**

  * For [justanoutlaw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/gifts).



> Pairing: Regina/Robin, Quinn/Rob, & several other minor ships  
> Date Written: 9 May 2020 - ???  
> Word Count: TBD  
> Written for: OQ Prompt Party 2020  
> Prompts: 88, 187, 205, 224 [see below for details]  
> Recipient: justanoutlaw  
> Summary: As the effects of quarantine due to the pandemic continue to hold the United Realms hostage, their Good Queen plays host to her large and extended family, and the forced confinement does more harm than good for her psyche in the long run. Will Robin and the rest of the family be able to help bring her back from the brink before it's too late?  
> Spoilers: Post-series canon fix-it fic where most of canon is still true, but I'm playing a little fast and loose with a few things here and there. This particular fic takes place approximately fourteen months after the events of "The Great Queen's Quest" and approximately thirteen months after the events of "Soothing Soak."  
> Warnings: Emotional hurt/comfort, PTSD, depression  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: So this has been a major labor of love for me. I wanted to write a quarantine fic for several of my verses, and this was the first one for two reasons. The first being that I love this verse and wanted to see how the family was coping with Robin being back with them a year later. And secondly, how does everyone in that large family [last count of 17 or 18 adults, 2 older children, and 3 infants] cope with being stuck within castle and keep for an extended period of time without killing each other? LOL I also really wanted to delve into some of Regina's issues that may or may not have been dealt with over the years. Quinn knows about most them obviously, but there are a few even she's never been privy to over the years; Mal knows about some, but not all; Snow, Zelena, David, Rob, and Robin know about some; but not everyone knows about everything. The idea that the whole family, even the children, band together to remind Regina what's important, and that she is important to them, has been an underlying thread of this the whole time I've been working on it, no matter how hard it got at times.
> 
> The OQ Prompt Party 2020 prompts used for the first four chapters:  
> 88\. Regina suffers from PTSD and has an episode  
> 187\. Regina and Robin exposed to some disease and have to quarantine together  
> 205\. Problems of living together  
> 224\. OQ dealing with quarantine and/or Covid-19
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as always… Especially Regina and Quinn, who are fucking goddess-sends of the highest caliber. May I always be worthy of writing for them.
> 
> Beta: Taylor has been THE best beta and cheerleader on this fic and this verse ever since I wrote "The Great Queen's Quest". I think she may be Quinn's biggest fan, ngl …after me, of course. LOL

Mal is walking down the corridor from the Queen's Private Garden toward the kitchens in search of companionship and food appropriate for human consumption as opposed to what is considered appropriate for Dragon consumption. Her most recent flight over the whole of the United Realms has proven most enlightening regarding just how people are responding to the quarantine requirements that Regina was forced to decree throughout the lands. That magic couldn't actually put an end to this pandemic hit both Regina and Quinn harder than anyone ever--

"This castle is not fucking big enough…"

Her brows lift toward her hairline curiously as those words drift toward her from the throne room. Without thought or consideration for her own safety, she changes direction.

"But there are like fifteen bedrooms, Regi--"

"Say another word, Charming, and I'll tear your throat out with my bare hands."

Mal chuckles softly, but quickens her pace. Stepping into the throne room, she can see the two royals facing off, confusion writ plain on Charming's face as it so often is, particularly when up against the inexplicable rage that overtakes Regina from time to time. She always thought that was a byproduct of Quinn's influence back when they shared a single body, but the fact that it's continued since their split only proves that it's but one more trait inherited from their mother that neither would prefer to admit.

The sudden relief on Charming's face as he notices her would be comical at any other time. "Maleficent! Will you please explain to Her Majesty here why she's wrong?"

_Oh, you're going to pay for that, Uncharming…_

Mal has to swallow back her laughter when Regina mutters practically the exact same words she's just thought, though with far more venom, and quickly tries to diffuse the situation by adding in, "You're damned lucky you're such a pretty man, Uncharming."

"Thank y-- Wait! What?" 

The absolute confusion on his face is adorable, even a little sexy, if she's honest with herself, but she knows that his wife is very possessive. It's one of the few things in Snow White that impresses her without fail, that romantic possessiveness that could rival a Dragon's.

"You heard me," she finally says dryly, moving closer. "And you should know better by now than to expect me to just say something like that without hearing all the facts first. I need to make an informed decision, David."

"And then you'd _better_ agree with me, Mal," Regina growls, hands clenching and unclenching into tight fists at her sides. 

"Patience, Little One." She grins when Regina's scowl deepens. "Now, who's going to explain what happened?"

Charming starts to open his mouth, but a quick, narrow-eyed glance from Mal stops him and he gallantly bows and gestures to Regina. "Ladies first, Your Majesty," he replies in a far gentler tone than she expects. The widening of Regina's eyes clearly shows that _she_ hadn't expected it either. Good. Perhaps he's not nearly as dumb as he is pretty after all.

Mal listens as Regina speaks, casually moving to settle in the throne meant for Regina, a smirk tugging at her lips at their reactions. David's eyebrows nearly disappear into his hairline, jaw dropping, and she can't resist blowing him a kiss. She may face Snow's wrath for that, but it'll be worth it. Regina, on the other hand, has continued her measured pacing, back ramrod straight as her hands gesticulate wildly to emphasize her words. Clearly she hasn't noticed Mal's change in position or location yet, but she will soon enough.

"He has no fucking right to tell m--"

_Showtime._

Mal simply smiles at Regina, waiting for her to continue or ask the obvious question that is written all over her face, and goes so far as to shift and throw one leg over the arm of the throne with a brow quirked in silent challenge.

"Why are you like this, Maleficent?" Regina sounds more petulant and exhausted than angry now, which is a good sign. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long. "I am explaining a serious issue here and you are acting like a fucking child! That is _my_ throne, not yours."

"When was the last time you flew, Little One?"

Regina shakes her head and continues with her rant. "No, this is my castle, my throne room, and my rule. Why do none of you respect that or me? Everyone thinks they can just go anywhere they want in this castle and on these grounds without the slightest thought of whether or not they should, or what I might want. And now _you_ do the same thing? What is wrong with you?"

Mal simply offers her a slow, feline blink and repeats her question in that soft, maternal tone that she knows is needed right now. "When was the last time you flew, Little One?"

"You know I can't fly, Maleficent, and I can't leave this damned castle until this pande--"

"When was the last time you flew, Little One?"

A fireball comes hurtling toward her face, and she chuckles as she catches it and lets it dissipate in her hand. Another quickly follows, and another after that, and another, each meeting the same fate. Choosing to let Regina bleed off her _ennui_ in this manner, Mal turns to look at David, who is clearly torn between wanting to help Regina and wanting to get the hell out of the vicinity before the fireballs are turned on him.

"Go find Robin, David," she says in a calm tone, still casually caching the fireballs. "No matter what he's doing, tell him his wife needs him in the throne room and that I'm invoking Queen's Privilege in requesting his presence. No one is to come with him, David, do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am," he says, the words more breath than actual sound, then quickly backs out of the room.

"You don't get to invoke Queen's Privilege, Maleficent!" Regina growls, but Mal can hear the exhaustion in the queen's voice. "That is _my_ right. You aren't queen here. I am!"


	2. David

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who might be curious, Penny's FC is Rachel McAdams with the brown hair. And the first person who figures out where Penny is from without googling it gets a ficlet of their choice from me...

David scurries down the corridors, blindly searching for the man of the hour. He hasn't seen Regina this irrationally angry in a long time. This is the kind of behavior he always expected out of the Evil Queen, but even Quinn doesn't act like this anymore. Especially not since she'd found love with Rob; even moreso since Robin came back to all of them just over a year ago. He knows there's something more to the way the twin couples interact, but has decided that it's probably better that he doesn't know the details. Snow already speculates more than enough for both of them as it is, and has fueled far too many wet dreams for him to be able to safely explain away.

He stops in the middle of the corridor once he's far enough away from the throne room to feel safe, glancing around to get his bearings. He tries to remember the conversation he, Rob, and Robin had had at breakfast this morning about their plans. The three older couples and Mal always get together in the mornings to go over their day's plans, just as the older kids' couples, younger Henry, and Heike do the same, with Lucy and Neal bouncing back and forth as their moods decide.

_Today is about teaching my grandson how to walk and say "Granddad" and hold a bow properly._

Snapping his fingers, David grins and makes his way toward the suite of rooms that Roland and his little family commandeered when the whole family got caught in the castle during the quarantine. Grateful to not encounter Quinn or Rob on the way, always unnerved by how connected they are to Regina's moods, he knocks on the door to Roland and Penny's suite and prays he'll find Robin still there.

"Uncle David?" Roland asks, opening the door. "Is everything okay? You look like you ran all the way here."

"Not, uh, no, not quite," he stammers, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Is your dad still here?"

Roland frowns and nods, looking back over his shoulder. "Yeah, he's sitting with Penny. She just finished breastfeeding Bertie. He promised to sing Bertie to sleep for his nap before heading off to find Regina for a late lunch. Is something wrong?"

"Uh, no, not exactly." He hates that he's lying to the younger man, but Regina would hate it if any of her kids learned about her being so upset. "I just need to talk to your dad about something."

Roland narrows his eyes in a way that is _all_ Regina and Quinn, and David feels his heart rate pick up again, but he lets out a slow, silent breath when there are no further questions. He follows the younger man into the suite, grinning when he picks up the sound of Robin's voice wafting out from the balcony. He doesn't recognize the tune, but knows the sound of a parent trying to coax a little one to sleep. Well, grandparent in this case.

The sight that greets him as they step out onto the balcony makes David smile brightly, temporarily forgetting his mission. Robin is pacing back and forth in front of the railing with his thirteen-month-old grandson snuggled up to his chest, face pressed against his neck, and singing softly as he rubs the boy's back. Penny is sitting in her lounge chair with a sleepy smile on her face, looking ready to pass out from the soothing song, as well. Robin smiles at David and quirks a brow, but doesn't break from what he's doing when David just smiles and faintly shakes his head. Robin continues what he's doing for another moment or two before carefully making his way to the playpen set up next to Penny's lounge chair. He presses a gentle kiss to the dark curls so reminiscent of Roland's before easing his grandson down onto the soft mattress and covering him with a light blanket. He then offers the same kiss to Penny's forehead and whispers something that makes her sleepily smile before moving to pull Roland into an embrace that concludes with a similar kiss to his forehead.

David feels a bit out of place watching this tender family moment, and misses his own wife and son, but waits patiently to be able to complete the task set upon him by Maleficent. Once that's done, he'll go find his little family for some quality time of their own. He waves to Roland and Penny as Robin joins him, but says nothing until they've made their way back out into the corridor and are down the way a bit.

"What's happened with Regina?" Robin finally asks. "Bertie was having a hard time nursing and settling down. He's so in tune with both of his grandmothers' moods."

"How do you know it's about Regina?" David asks, feeling cagey all of a sudden.

Robin stops and pulls him into a hidden alcove, crows-feet making his blue eyes look stormier. "If it was about Quinn, you'd have sought out Rob. What's happened with my wife?"

"She's… Just come to the throne room and see? Mal sent me to tell you she's invoking Queen's Privilege and needs you there immediately."

"Queen's Priv-- Why didn't you say so earlier, mate?"

Robin is out of the alcove and racing for the throne room before David can register it. He has to jog to catch up to his friend, grabbing for his arm. "They'd both kill me if they knew I was pulling you away from time with your grandson. Mal had Regina under control. She was letting her bleed off the worst of it."

"Just what am I going to be walking into, Uncharming?"

David winces at the nickname. Robin and Rob both picked it up from Mal and only use it when he's being particularly …well, _him_ about something. "Regina and I got into a fight. It was nothing serious, not really. We're all feeling the effects of being cooped here in the castle, but--"

"But it's hitting Regina the hardest," Robin replies, cutting him off.

"Yeah…"

"I take it Maleficent stopped her from doing something irreversible to you?"

"Probably? When I left, she was gently taunting Regina while catching and extinguishing fireballs that were being thrown at her."

"Bollocks," Robin mutters, quickening his pace.

"Robin, I wasn't trying to upset her. You gotta believe me."

A soft, but heavy sigh precedes his words. "I know that, David. You're family to both of us. This hasn't been an easy time for her. Let me see what I can do, how I can help Mal to help Regina." He pauses long enough to look at David. "Is your presence required alongside mine or can you leave?"

"It wasn't explicitly said either way, so I'd rather err on the side of caution if you don't mind?"

The relief he feels when Robin nods is likely palpable, but he doesn't care. They finally make it to the throne room and the hair stands up on the back of his neck at just how eerily silent it is. They step inside to find Mal still sitting on the throne, only now Regina is curled up in her lap, her whole body shaking with silent sobs. Mal looks up from whatever she's been saying to Regina to offer a grim smile to them, nodding toward David. He repeats the gesture and turns to leave in search of his own wife and son, grateful to have completed his task and hoping that Robin and Mal can help Regina.


	3. Robin

Robin stands there, rooted to the spot, as he takes in the sight of his wife broken down in Maleficent's lap. He doesn't even register that David's left his side for a long moment or two, or that Maleficent is talking to him until a bright flash of light goes off before his eyes. Blinking furiously to get rid of the spots, the world begins to creep in again and he can hear the faint sounds of Regina's ragged breathing and Mal's softly murmured assurances in a language he recognizes as Dragonish.

A dozen or so long strides take him to the foot of the six steps leading up to the throne where the pair of them is sitting. The searing ache in his chest nearly drops him to his knees, but the need to be strong for his wife supersedes any pain he may be feeling. Once at the top of the steps, he kneels in front of the throne, gently settles a hand on Regina's back and begins to sing the same lullaby he just sang to Bertie. He knows she won't hear the actual words themselves, that they aren't the important thing here, just as she likely hasn't heard a single word of the Dragonish Mal's been murmuring to her. She just needs to know that he's here and loves her and isn't going anywhere. He feels the sting of tears in his own eyes at her pain, but keeps singing in that same soft, calm voice that he used with Bertie and has used with Regina when her nightmares have plagued her over the last year since he was returned to her.

When exhaustion finally fully claims her, he looks up to see tears in Maleficent's eyes and a grateful smile on her face. Before he can say a word, a cloud of dark smoke surrounds him; when it dissipates, he finds they're in his and Regina's private bedchambers. Mal gently settles Regina on the bed and pulls the covers up over her, then motions him toward the chairs set in front of the fireplace that roars to life. He pauses, watching his wife sleeping for a moment, and leans in to press the tenderest of kisses to her temple before joining the blonde.

"What happened?" he finally asks in a hoarse whisper.

"You know as well as I do that Regina needs her freedom nearly as much as I do. She can't be caged up against her will."

"Nor can Quinn, but I don't see her having a complete meltdown like my wife did with David and you." Robin scrubs both hands over his face and sighs heavily. "Did she really throw fireballs at you?"

Mal's soft chuckle does ease a bit of his anxiety. "To be fair, Robin, I _did_ goad her into it. She needed to bleed off some of her stress and anxiety and her fireballs won't hurt me, we all know that. It allowed me to send David to find you because I knew she'd need you once she wore herself out and had nothing to hide behind anymore." She glances back at Regina briefly. "As for why Quinn doesn't react this way, she actually does. She's just better at doing it in private with Rob. He's had much longer to learn her tells and get her out of the public eye, as it were." Robin parts his lips to speak, but Mal holds up a hand and continues. "That is by no means a critique on you, dear. Frankly, I've been expecting something similar from her during this enforced quarantine, as well."

"You know you should've had David tell me immediately," he says with a frown. "I could've--"

"No." It comes out simply and with a kind of finality that he knows better than to argue against. "Your time with your grandson is precious. Regina would've killed me if I'd pulled you away from that, even for her in the midst of her meltdown. You and I both know that, Robin."

"But--"

"No," she says again, more gently this time, and leans forward to take his hand in hers. It's preternaturally warm, something in which he finds a great deal of comfort right now. "To be honest, I think your presence would've made things worse, just like David's would have. It's why I sent him off to find you. If it was truly an emergency, I'd've just poofed you to the throne room without question, but I knew I could be afforded the time for David to go get you and explain the basics to you. It gave me the chance to bleed off the worst of the anger she was hiding behind to get us to the fear and anxiety, even if I don't fully have the root of it."

Robin nods slowly and turns to look at his wife again. Before he can do more than part his lips and inhale in preparation to speak what's on his mind, a cloud of dark purple smoke shrouds his view. When it dissipates, Quinn and Rob are standing there at the foot of the bed, looking quite disheveled and a bit wild-eyed. And is that a bit of twig sticking out of her hair? Quinn spins around and stops when she sees Regina, but Rob stands there with a hand on his stomach and a slightly green tinge to his face.

"What the hell is wrong with my twin?" Quinn asks, turning her head toward them. If he didn't know any better, Robin would swear she's about to crawl into the bed with his wife. "Why didn't you call me?"

"Get out," Mal growls in a tone that both turns the contents of his bowels liquidy and his cock hard. "You honestly have the gall to finally just show up here now, looking and reeking of sex, and expect to take over the care of your twin? Where were you when she was fighting with David? Or when she was throwing fireballs at me in the throne room? Better yet, where were you when she collapsed in my lap, sobbing hysterically, and needed her husband to sing to her to finally calm down enough to ease into this uneasy slumber you see now?" 

Each question of Mal's cuts off a potential response from Quinn, and Robin can see how his wife's twin is starting to get that exact look on her face that could ultimately lead her to the same state that Regina's currently in. He squeezes Mal's hand, grateful that she hadn't let go when Quinn and Rob materialized in the room. "Why don't we let them freshen up and come back, then we can all have a more productive conversation about helping Regina?"

He'd have to be blind to miss the flash of gold in her eyes, knowing the Dragon is lurking just beneath the surface. She stares at him for a long moment, and he can see Quinn and Rob both fidgeting in his peripheral vision, but finally she lets out a soft growl and nods, muttering, "Fine."

"We'll just be a little bit," Rob says, bringing their attention to him as he pulls his own wife closer. "Would you prefer we knock before returning or…"

"This kind of entrance will be fine again," Robin replies to his twin with an understanding smile. "As long as you're all right with it, of course, mate."

"I'm sorry," Quinn says quietly before poofing them out of the room.

The crackling from the fireplace and Regina's soft snores are the only sounds in the room for a long moment before Robin speaks again. "Don't you think you were a bit harsh with Quinn, Maleficent?"

"She should know better."

"Really?" He can feel his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "That's what you're going with? After you just said she's likely feeling the same issues that Regina is, you're now going to berate her and potentially put her in the same state of mind as Regina? This isn't like you, Mal. You don't pit one of them against the other."

She pulls her hand away and gets up to pace in the space between their chairs and the bed. Robin watches her quietly, and the realization hits him that she's feeling just as trapped as his wife and Quinn, as all of them. Something needs to be done to remedy this whole bloody situation as quickly as possible before the family he's been returned to is taken away from him again.


	4. Snow White

"Snow?"

A bright smile curls up her lips at the sound of her husband's voice. Before she can answer him, she sees the blur that is their son racing past her toward the main door of their suite of rooms, a loud _Daddy!_ following in his wake. She chuckles and sets aside her knitting to get up and join him in greeting David's return. Walking into the formal sitting room, she watches as Neal scrambles to climb up onto his father's back as he fills him in on what they've been doing so far, bright smiles on both of their faces, but she can see something darker lurking in her husband's eyes.

"And I finished my scarf today, Daddy," Neal says. "It's kinda wobbly, but she said I'll get better with practice. Wanna see it?"

"I'd love to see it, buddy, but let me talk to your mom for a minute first, okay? Boring grownup stuff. How about you get your scarf ready to show me and maybe even grab your coloring books and stuff? I thought maybe we could color some pictures for Auntie Regina. You know how much your pictures make her smile."

There's something in the way he says it that has the hair on the back of her neck standing up in an uncomfortable way. Something's wrong with Regina, something David can't discuss in front of their son. She flashes Neal smile when he readily agrees and squirms to get down again, hugging both of them before scampering off to pull out all of his coloring books and every possible crayon, marker, and pen he owns. His comment that he _must_ have the ones that Regina gave him isn't a shock at all. Everyone knows about the close bond between Neal and his godmother. Snow remembers how Regina was with Henry as he grew up, and will fight anyone who side eyes her choice of her son's godmother. Few people know Regina's maternal side as well as Snow does.

As soon as Neal is safely out of range, she turns to study her husband again, head tilting to the side. "What happened to Regina?" 

She accepts the gentle brush of his lips against hers, can feel the tension even in that brief touch, and waits as patiently as she can for his explanation. David guides her to the couch and quickly launches into what happened, and her heart sinks at the pain Regina must be in. There's a part of her that understands how trapped Regina feels; she doesn't like being cooped up for this long either, even if she understands the reasoning and wants to keep her entire family and the whole of the United Realms safe and healthy. Another part of her wants to go to be with Regina, but knows that she needs to wait to be requested for that.

"Do you think we should use the magic compact to try to contact them and see if there's anything we can do?" She honestly can't help the question or the need to help however possible.

David shrugs. "Honestly, I think they know that they can call on us at any time for help, Snow. Maybe it's better if we give them the space they need? I know you want to help, but we don't want Regina to feel more trapped than she already does, right?"

She frowns, pursing her lips at his logic. "No, as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. We'll give them the time and space they need."

Neal is happily singing to himself as he sets up his supplies on the table out on the patio, a silly song that he and Regina made up about coloring in the lines and using all of your colors, but putting them away so you don't lose them. It makes her smile to hear him singing the song, knowing that he doesn't necessarily grasp the lesson it teaches, just that he knows it's something special Auntie Regina taught him when they were coloring together. He may not have any traditionally magical blood, despite being born of a True Love couple, but his connection to his godmother -- to both of them, because Quinn is every bit his godmother as Regina is -- has a kind of magic that is hard to quantify but is easily seen and felt by anyone in their proximity. And no one will defend the sanctity of that bond more than Snow White.

"Mommy? Daddy? Are you ready to color with me? We needs lots of pictures to make Auntie Regina feel better."

She wants to correct him, but the sadness in David's eyes stops her. An occasionally misspoken word here and there won't matter in the long run. What matters is family. She squeezes David's hand, smiling when he lifts their joined hands and kisses her knuckles.

"We're coming, sweetheart," she calls to him. "Do you need a drink? I think you and Daddy both have earned a mini Coke today. In fact, we all have."

"Before lunch, Snow?" David asks, lifting his free hand to touch her forehead. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

The slightly teasing tone is a balm to her soul and she leans away from his touch. "I'm feeling just fine. But there's nothing wrong with an occasional treat, especially when forced into this isolation like we've been."

If she thought a little can of soda would make Regina feel better, she'd send an entire six-pack to her former step-mother and close friend. But she knows it will take more than that to repair whatever is causing Regina's current emotional trauma, and she prays the extended family has what's necessary to do so.


End file.
